What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger?

[alisha27]

I am just ranting here because I had a heated argument with my sons father. He is getting very annoyed that our son insist on washing his hands all the time. My ex thinks I'm turning our son into some kind of girly "sissy" boy because I've made strict rules about hand washing with our 4 year old. My ex says it's good for him to get sick and it will build his immune system. I've heard this saying and I'm sure there are proven facts but I personally feel like it's a load of crap. Take the sv* for example, how does catching it make you stronger? You can still catch it again later down the road and it could be severe more then the last episode. Even the flu virus, once you catch it you are not totally immune. Some of these viruses have been known to cause severe dehydration and extreme cases death if not treated. My landlord has shingles which is very painful to him and is in relation to him having chickenpox virus as a child. I understand the science of antigen, antibodies ect ect but I don't see how preventing an illness is more harmful then catching it again and again? Someone explain?

[hadenough]

It depends on when you are making him wash his hands i guess.

I have 7 kids and (touch wood) non of them have ever had a SV, i am big on hand washing after going to the toilet , if we have been out , or if we are in a hospital visiting or with one of them and if someone has a cold to try to stop it going through all of them but unless they have been outside digging in dirt i dont force them to wash their hands before eating or just for the sake of washing their hands.
They have all eaten dirt and in the heat being filthy dirty and wet from the hose or something have eaten a snack or ice block without washing.

So yes after the toilet and after we have been out but thats about it for us and as i said they have never had a SV

[jmoore10]

That's a tough question. If he's washing his hands after using the potty, before he eats, after he's been playing with his friends at someone else's house, or somewhere public like at the store (escalator hand rails or shopping carts then I see nothing wrong with a vigorous hand-washing. There's lots of nasty people out there who just don't care!
On the other hand, if he's jumping up to wash his hands during commercials while watching his cartoons you might want to step in and ask him why he feels the need. It's perfectly normal to want to shield your baby from bad things, and that includes illness. Unfortunately, we can't be with them 24/7 or build a bubble around them (goodness knows I've tried!) so trust that you've taught him well and that he's inherited your good hygeine sense WITHOUT the phobia

[cazamoon]

I so agree hand washing is the best form of protection and prevention not enough people now teach there children to wash there hands after eating, going to the restroom etc having worked in the restroom hygiene industry for many years i know how important it is to wash hands as often as possible

[Paisley]

Being very careful not to "teach" my daughter to be phobic like me, I made of point of teaching her the importance of washing her hands ONLY after using the bathroom, before eating (if possible), and if they're visibly dirty. Other than that, I didn't see the need in turning my daughter into a hypochondriac like me. As a result, she's been fine. She caught a couple mild things here and there, no more than any child, in fact, I'm pretty sure she's been sick less often than all her friends.

When I take her to playgrounds like McDonald's, which I'm sure is a cesspool of germs, she doesn't wash her hands, eats with her hands, etc..... never caught anything.

So just be careful that you're not teaching your son to be scared of germs. Hygeine is one thing but as we all know, being paranoid about it isn't healthy.

[Theshadow]

My grandfather impresses upon washing hands before handling anything and I am pretty sure he is older than your ex. I don't see what the problem is.

[raekat]

Catching a cold or a flu helps strengthen the immune system so it can "battle" the next "influenza" and help not get sick quite as much, but it doesn't mean you should get an illness every week!
Hand washing is always a good idea, because there a germs you can get by going to, say, a mall and touching almost everything and then eating off your hands which have a bazzillion different germs and the germs up get because of your immune system not fighting it off.

It is definitely a good thing that you've taught your son to wash his hands, because I know lots of different boys and girls who don't do it enough, although if you start to notice that your son is complaining about sore hands or if you notice they seem a little dry from all the soap, just explain to him that you should always wash your hand before eating or sticking them in your mouth or rubbing your eyes and using the bathroom- if you haven't already that is.

And again, I applaud you to get your son to wash his hands!! I've been trying forever to get my brother to do so before eating lunch at his school. So far, no go haha